July 10--Boston residents remain skeptical of their city's planned bid for the 2024 Summer Olympics, according to a poll released Friday.
Only 40% of residents support the idea of hosting the Games, radio station WBUR found. That number remains unchanged from April.
Statewide, support has risen slightly -- from 39% to 42% -- in recent weeks.
About half of the respondents in the city and throughout Massachusetts oppose hosting the Games. Cost has been the primary concern.
"Despite more than two years of salesmanship from Olympic boosters, Massachusetts voters ... do not trust the boosters to protect scarce tax dollars," a group called No Boston Olympics said in a statement.
It was last winter that Boston defeated Los Angeles in a close race to be the sole U.S. bidder. Two other candidates -- San Francisco and Washington, D.C. -- finished farther back in the competition.
With the Boston 2024 campaign struggling all spring, U.S. Olympic Committee officials recently stuck to their choice but warned that they want to see an increase in public support.
Richard Davey, the chief executive of Boston 2024, told WBUR that it is "fair to say that we've got some work to do."
"The good news is I think it has moved a bit, and we've got time to continue to get our message out," he added.
